


Thunderstorm

by chaoticlivi



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-25
Updated: 2013-03-25
Packaged: 2017-12-06 11:36:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/735206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticlivi/pseuds/chaoticlivi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein Soul and Maka enjoy a rare Death City thunderstorm. It involves a lot of contemplation and some spilled tea. Total fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Soul Eater.

A lightning bolt dashed its light across the sky, perfectly visible from the window in Soul and Maka's little abode in Death City. Meanwhile, the apartment's usual occupants were actually trying to race the storm home through the shadowy late-evening haze.

"It's starting," Soul said as he drove the motorcycle, rounding a corner a little too quickly for Maka's taste. She chose to ignore it.

"I do kind of like thunderstorms," she yelled instead over the noisy machine.

"Yeah, me too. But not usually from the outdoors."

He had to admit that the dry heat of the Nevada desert got tiresome now and then. Oh, he definitely enjoyed the typically-bright weather; being someone who liked to hang around outside, having rain all the time where he came from seriously cramped his style and frankly got pretty depressing. But a good storm now and then when it wasn't the norm was exciting.

"Oh! We should make tea for this and watch the storm - it'll be so cozy!" Maka said into his ear, eyes bright.

Soul wondered what it must be like to be so easily excited, and smirked. "Okay, sounds good - you're gonna make both of ours, though."

Maka stuck her tongue out even though he couldn't see it from where she sat behind him. A raindrop promptly fell on it.

"Aah!" she gasped in surprise.

He felt her startle against his back. "'Aah' what?" he asked, risking a glance backwards and wondering if he was going to have to spring into action.

"I felt a raindrop."

"What, that's it? And that scares you?" Okay, he would admit it. For the umpteenth time, in fact, he'd admit it, though only to himself. His meister happened to be sort of cute.

"No, idiot. I was just startled." 

* * *

Sure enough, the rain was quickly beginning to fall at a greater and greater pace. The sky opened up as Soul and Maka approached their own neighborhood; the water created a noisy pattering on the rooftops and loud hissing on the ground. After what seemed like ages in such an overwhelming deluge, Soul finally brought the motorcycle to a stop at the apartment.

"Ugh, gross," Maka complained. She stepped gingerly off the bike, already soaked to the bone and weighed down by the water on her long jacket. "I hate having wet clothes."

But he was too far away to hear her. "Hurry up, you slowpoke," Soul called over the downpour. He waited until she reached the stairs, where he was already standing; he grabbed her hand and pulled her up after him as fast as possible.

Just to spite him for calling her a slowpoke, she overtook him on the stairs, then grabbed her key out of her pocket and unlocked the door all in one fluid motion. They both ran inside at the same time and stopped, trying to drip only on the doormat, as Soul slammed the door shut.

Thunder growled in the distance.

"Hey Blair!" Maka shouted. No answer. She glanced at the clock. "Blair's usually here at this time..."

"Must have left early for work to beat the rain."

"Wow, that's dedication." Maka rolled her eyes. Everyone knew what she thought of the cat-woman's occupation.

"Oh well. Time to get dry," Soul said, striding through sopping socks and jeans toward his room. "Don't forget to put milk in my tea!"

Maka ignored him and headed for her own room.

Lightning flashed dramatically and thunder rumbled again. She thought it might be a little closer, a little louder, but couldn't tell exactly. Nowhere on the horizon was there a lighter patch; clouds obscured the late-evening sky as far as the eye could see. What an impressive storm.

Last time they'd had any thunder at all was over a year ago. Classes had just finished that day, but the students had all been stuck at Shibusen for the duration of the storm, and Soul had complained about how bored he was while Maka tried to read a textbook. At the time she'd been very annoyed and clocked him over the head, but now the memory made her smile.

Maka found herself looking for an attractive but casual outfit, and realized vaguely that she was trying to impress Soul. That didn't make any sense, though. He'd already seen everything she owned.

Oh. Except this. It was just a black tank top, kind of boring, but she decided to wear it for the novelty. The shirt was covered with a large green soul-shaped symbol; Maka had bought it on a whim because it was inexpensive at the Death City Bazaar and Tsubaki said the soul on it matched her eyes.

Anyway, Maka had been slowly growing accustomed to her own wishes to impress her weapon. She was absolutely not the kind of person who needed validation from males for her sense of self-worth, and she had no plans to take this little crush anywhere since making any moves would jeopardize their partnership, and she didn't trust the whole concept surrounding romance as far as she could throw it, but-

As she thought, she sat down on her bed and let down her pigtails to dry her hair.

She felt a special connection to Soul. Obviously, this was a Meister-Weapon connection, but even as a regular human being he had been a complicated, ultimately pleasant surprise for Maka. When they first met she loved his song; in fact she desperately wanted to hear it again, all the time. She didn't usually understand music of that type, but she somehow knew this was the sound of his soul, and there was so much complexity, uniqueness, and nuance to it that she was just drawn to him.

Maka had also been delighted to learn of his inner caring side. For a while Maka had been concerned that her partner really was just some jerk she was now stuck with. He seemed to revel in annoying her, and he often encouraged Black*Star's obnoxious behavior, and he liked boobs too much, and he insulted her just for fun, and he cheated in school because he was too lazy to study, and he was a total cynic, and he enjoyed eating souls to a rather excessive degree (seriously, who eats anything that way?).

But the truth was that Soul was fiercely loyal - to Maka and his other friends as well. He'd volunteered to put himself in severe danger for them, and for her he'd come very close to dying. In fact, he'd made moves that could only be interpreted as suicidal to save her life. It's what a weapon is supposed to do, but in that case he was a pretty incredible weapon.

He was one of those strange guys who picked on people he liked. And she'd realized, probably after about two years of partnership, that half of the arguments the two of them had were based on him worrying about her. And his little gestures of concern, like making sure she had enough to eat when she was injured or trying to push her back into action after she'd been moping for too long - when she thought about it, even though his sarcastic tendencies were often completely maddening, they were kind of charming if she thought of them as a mask for his deeper emotions.

And he was always there for her. Maybe he was there and making complaining noises. Maybe he was sulking. Maybe he was questioning her judgment. Maybe he was even saying outright that he didn't want to be there. But he was still so steadily there. To be leaned on.

All right. Fine. She had feelings for Soul. The kind she'd once told herself she would not have. Through the blood, sweat, and tears, they'd snuck in anyway, and now she had to admit she really wanted something more from him.

Those feelings were irrelevant, though, because if life with Spirit and Kami had taught her one thing, it's that Meister-Weapon romances can quickly destroy partnerships. And if Maka had to choose a non-romantic partnership with Soul over losing him entirely someday, that's exactly what she'd do.

* * *

When Maka arrived back in the living room, two cups of tea steamed on the coffee table. Soul was reclining in his usual apron, looking just ridiculous enough to get Maka smiling.

Lightning flashed as Soul caught her eyes and shrugged. "You must really be a girl after all, then, because you took forever to get dressed. I was too thirsty to wait." He took a swig from his cup to punctuate that statement.

Maka strode past him to where her cup sat, bopping him lightly on the head with a book. "Thanks." She did not hit hard enough to make the tea spill, he noticed. It was already made as he knew she liked it - no milk, lots of sugar - and he'd put some cookies next to it, too.

It was pitch dark outside now; the sky was still wide open, and the thunder was definitely louder this time. Soul drained the rest of his drink and lazily spread out on one side of the couch to close his eyes and take a nap. Maka turned a lamp on so she could read, legs folded up at the other side of the couch. She took dainty sips from her cup.

Soul listened to the thunder and the occasional little sip from his partner.

"You're slurping," he said, opening one eye. She was reading Pride and Prejudice. He'd recognize that book anywhere because this was the millionth time she'd read it.

"Mmm." She did it again. "It's kind of satisfying, so you'll just have to deal with it."

Soul grunted and closed his eye again. He actually just enjoyed goading Maka because it was fun to do. He hadn't always had the insight to realize this about himself, but apparently Kid, Liz, and Tsubaki agreed that he often expressed affection by taking little jabs at people he wanted to connect with.

Kid had said Soul was "attention-seeking" in a matter-of-fact tone, but grinned subtly as he said it, as though the shinigami knew something Soul didn't.

Liz thought it was "Soul's cute little habit." He'd bristled at what sounded like a bit of condescension in her voice.

Tsubaki had hurriedly added, in her gentle and inoffensive manner, that it only made sense for someone as calm and cool as Soul to make jokes to connect with others.

At first, he hadn't exactly embraced their outlook on his emotions. After all, he was just cracking jokes about people. He did that about people he didn't like as much as people he did like, right? But as he spent more days thereafter teasing and poking fun at his closest friends - none moreso than his own partner - he realized that his sarcastic demeanor had two completely opposite functions. It both built walls around him and forged connections with others.

He did use his attitude to push people away. But in all honesty, it was basically a test to see who he would be safe around. Only people who were pretty cool would be able to hang around him if he didn't tiptoe around their feelings. Only people who could see nuance. Only people who genuinely liked Soul for Soul, and not for his family name or something else stupid.

And Maka was the epitome of the genuine friend, he thought as thunder reverberated again.

He'd learned about all of her family's dirty laundry within about two hours of becoming partners (not that she really had a choice in the matter, considering Spirit's behavior at that point). Through all their time together, and despite his teasing, she actually spent as little time as possible on boring girl crap like makeup and clothes. (She was what most guys would call "natural.") And even though Maka wasn't the greatest communicator, she didn't have any qualms about telling people what she really thought of them (and she'd emphasize it, if she saw fit, with the spine of a hardcover book).

Her crazy quirks had both irritated and fascinated Soul to begin with. He had been a bit disturbed to realize that he sort of enjoyed watching her freak out, even at him; was he some kind of masochist? But over the years, he'd noticed all her good qualities, too - the ones that made him respect her at first and feel truly at home with her later.

Maka was indeed smart. Book-smart, if a little short on common sense, he reminded himself fondly. But he also realized that she wasn't just some reservoir of information that happened to be on written exams. She was devoted and worked really hard to earn her grades. To be perfectly honest, Soul never thought most things about school were worth a damn, so his admiration was not about the academia itself - just how passionate she could be and how much control she could take of her own learning.

She was also incredibly compassionate. At first he'd thought it was just Maka being a softie "because she's a girl," but over time he realized she could have a rare level of empathy for others. She didn't always understand other people - in fact, he'd even say Maka was not always very good at seeing things from other people's points of view. But she wasn't the kind of person who needed to understand to care.

And if she did understand, as she had with Crona - well then. That person would have a friend for life.

Oh, yeah. Loyalty. Loyalty was another strong point for her.

Soul was just starting to realize that he had moved on to practically swooning over his boring, nerdy, bookworm, flat-chested meister when the loudest crash of thunder yet happened. It wasn't directly overhead, but it was close, and it shook the apartment.

The aforementioned courageous meister jumped at the sound, enough for Soul to notice from his end of the couch.

"Heh. You afraid?" he prodded.

"Nope. Just startled." She turned a page.

There was another bright flash, followed mere seconds later by a loud crash, and this time both partners jumped in their seats.

Then there was a high-pitched ping! as all the lights went off.

"Dammit," Maka growled. "Soul, do we have a flashlight?"

"Um...not that I know of."

"Okay. How about some candles, then?"

"None of those, either."

"Crap! How am I supposed to read my book? Can you just go check?"

"Maka, I'm absolutely sure we don't have any of those things."

"This is so stupid." Maka sniffed. "I was just at my favorite part, too."

"...It's just as much your fault as it is mine that we don't have a flashlight."

"Argh! Soul! I wasn't blaming you."

"Just making sure." He grinned, though she couldn't see it in the dark.

* * *

They sat in silence for a moment, steeling themselves for the next shockwave of thunder. Rain fell against the window, a roaring volley of wind and water which must have been coming down at an odd angle. None of the streetlights nearby were on, either, though there were some in the distance.

Maka pouted. "How long is this gonna last?"

She felt Soul shift down at the other end of the couch. "I don't know. Probably until the storm is over and they fix it, right?"

She sighed again in exasperation. "What am I gonna do now? I can't read without any light!"

"Haven't you read that book eighty times by now?"

Maka smiled despite herself. "Well, it's actually only been six. It'll be seven by the time I finish this round."

Soul snorted. "I don't even know how you can like reading so much. Especially the same book, over and over again..."

"Hey, it's classic literature. And...I like the story. Even if it's a little silly."

"The writing is all weird - I looked at a page once and couldn't understand half the things they were saying!"

"That's because it was written a long time ago. I like to try to understand it. I feel like I learn something new every time."

"Whatever floats your boat, bookworm." Thunder crashed. "Ah, maybe we should just go to sleep - I think this will be a long storm."

Maka puffed her cheeks out in annoyance. "Pfft! That's boring. And it's only nine o'clock. Let's just talk for a while. Want a cookie?"

"Nah, thanks."

"Suit yourself."

Maka felt the couch move as Soul shifted again. At least he didn't get up and leave - he had listened to her suggestion in his usual cool, indirect way. She smiled in the darkness.

If she would never initiate any undeniably romantic contact whatsoever, she could still try to get closer to her partner on an emotional level. And there was one thing he never talked about, even when she asked. Well, now he was cornered.

"Hey Soul."

"Yeah?" Cue another loud thunder crash.

"How come you never talk about your family?"

"...Because I don't want to." She could tell from his tone that he was already wary and annoyed.

"But why?" she pressed.

He sighed in exasperation. "Because they're in the past. I don't want anything to do with them anymore. I'm...my own person now."

Maka huffed. "Come on. I don't even know your real last name!"

"Eater is my last name, Maka."

"Come on, whose last name is really Eater, anyway? You must have had a different family name. It's really weird that I don't know it."

"That's because it's not my real last name. My last name is Eater." Both partners jumped as thunder struck directly overhead, nearly simultaneous with the lightning flash. But Maka would not be distracted.

"Soul. You can't help who your family is. I want to know for- for the sake of our partnership. Please."

"You're so nosy! It's none of your business!"

"I'm asking nicely!"

"And I'm nicely telling you 'no'!"

That almost sent Maka off the deep end. "You're not being nice! Come on! I feel like it's some huge gap between us. I feel like I know you so well, but then people ask me what your real last name is because they can tell that Eater isn't really it, and then I realize how little I actually know about you. It's disturbing. All our friends have either met their partners' families or just don't have families. You even know my family, or at least the ones around here. I don't hide things from you, Soul. But you hide really big parts of your past from me. It isn't fair. I feel like you're shutting me out on purpose." As she came to this sentence, she realized the implications of what she was saying and felt something like panic well up in her chest.

"I'm not. Maka, look. You've been inside my soul. How much 'closer' can you get? Why can't you respect that I just want to leave the past in the past and not let my family have anything to do with our partnership?"

"Why can't you respect that I just want to know something about the people who shaped you because...because I want to be closer to you?"

Soul was silent for a moment, and then said, as thunder crashed: "Oh man. Do I have to get up and hide from you in my room?"

Maka let this sink in. "Don't bother," she said, voice deadly quiet, and stood up to find her way to her own room.

Little did she know Soul's legs were stretched out, feet resting on the table, and as she tried to brush past him in an angry huff, her shins accidentally slammed into them and she tumbled head-first to the floor. The first thing she felt, even before the pain, was intense embarrassment.

* * *

The sound of one of the tea cups shattering reverberated with the storm. Soul sat in shocked silence for a few seconds, which felt like a miniature eternity. Then he leaned forward.

"Maka..." he said, hoping it sounded gentle. "Maka. Are you okay?"

He heard a sniffle, and his heart froze. Oh for Death's sake, he'd made his partner cry.

"I'm fine," she muttered, picking herself up off the floor. "That was so stupid. Good night."

She was going to leave, he realized, and as thunder struck again his hand grabbed for hers and miraculously found it in the darkness. He didn't have to pull hard to get her to stop moving.

"Soul...?"

"Maka. Please don't be so upset. You know I hate talking about my family. I've told you that ten times before."

He was answered by another sniffle, which made his heart twist in ways he hadn't previously thought possible. "I guess I really am pretty stupid," Maka said, voice monotone. "I'm supposed to be strong. And brave. People have said so all the time. But I can't even talk to my weapon and handle a simple fall without getting all choked up."

Soul silently yanked her back, hoping she'd take the cue to sit on the couch. But she didn't. She just stood there.

It was strange - his mind should have been on solving the problem at hand. But instead, his thoughts wandered to what she'd said about strength and bravery. The fact was that Maka was among the strongest and most courageous people he'd ever met. She didn't recognize it in herself.

Maybe it was because of her passion. Maka was a very emotional person, and the expression of emotion was often considered a weakness. Soul guiltily realized this was a perception he himself shared. But there was a kind of courage and strength that could be very emotional, too.

Maka was confusing courage with stoicism.

Stoicism was Soul's own way of dealing with his personal baggage. He didn't see anything wrong with it. But he had to admit - Maka really felt everything deeply. She had been hurt before, and she had her emotional scars from it. The courageous thing about her was that despite this, she never seemed to lose hope. When push came to shove, she'd choose fighting over quitting every single time.

And she was constantly reinventing and improving herself because of it.

"Hey, sit down," he said. As she did, another enormous crash of thunder sounded, and she thudded onto the couch with a little more force than she'd intended. Soul felt a tear drip onto his hand.

He didn't let go of hers. Because now he'd gone and done it. He'd tripped her (even though it was an accident) and made her hurt herself and then she'd started crying and it was entirely his fault. And even though she'd be fine regardless of what he did within an hour or so, you're not supposed to hurt your own meister.

"Maka," he said again. "Look. I don't like talking about my family for a lot of reasons. They're not cool people at all. Most of them don't even try to understand me. They're all a bunch of fakes. Nothing about them is really...real. And honestly..." He bit his lip. "I've always been really jealous of my brother. He's a much better musician than I am." More thunder. "And a nicer guy. I know it's pathetic. But I feel like as long as I'm even associated with them, I'll never get to be my own person. I'll always be their kid, his brother, the mediocre piano player who didn't quite live up to Mum and Dad's expectations."

Before Soul knew what was happening, Maka had thrown her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. "You're such an idiot!" she cried.

"I know," he answered (after a shocked, lengthy pause). "And that's not all. The problem is, if I stay with them, I'll ruin their precious family name."

* * *

Maka listened to the sound of Soul's voice rumbling in his chest. He had his hands awkwardly around her back. The thunder was muffled in the ear she had pressed against him. He smelled like clean laundry and whatever kind of shower gel was on sale this week. Her tears were drying out, and mainly Maka was feeling fascination.

Love. It wasn't a word she'd put much stock in. But she was starting to believe in it.

"It's not...that I hate them, exactly," Soul continued. "I mean, I wish them well and all. But I can't be one of them, and the only way to get away from them is to stop being involved with them, even in my thoughts. And even in my name. It'll be better for me, because I'll get to be a real person. And it will be better for them, because they won't have to deal with my problems and people won't wonder why they have one kid who's so strange. It's better if I define myself more by what I do- well, what we do here."

Maka's heart skipped a beat as she felt him lean down and rest his chin on her shoulder. He drew her into a tighter hug. She knew this was his apology for earlier.

"I'll tell you this, but I really don't wanna talk about it too much, so please quit asking now that I'm telling you this once. My family's name is Evans, okay? My brother's name is Wes, and I actually did tell you a while ago that he's a violinist. He's one of the best in the world. I hate being around him because honestly he's cooler than me in almost every way. My mother and father are insanely rich and really boring. They're not like your dad, they hardly ever act proud or even seem to want to see me. I do know they're good people, they're not really so bad, I guess. At least Wes turned out all right. But they don't really like what we do here, and they think I'm weird for being a weapon. I scare them. So they're better off without me."

Thunder crackled, built up, and boomed. It was still overhead, but starting to move away. "You ass," she whispered, clawing a little at the apron he hadn't taken off. "You could have just told me that and I'd never ask you again."

He poked her back playfully. "Well I didn't want to drag up all this dramatic crap, but someone had to go and fall on her face and make me feel like a jerk for not spilling."

"You can trust me not to tell anyone, too. I promise, Soul."

"I know, Maka. I trust you with a lot more than that every day."

Against her better judgment, Maka pushed herself into Soul, forcing him to lie back. Now they were lying on the couch, still wrapped together. He didn't resist, so she smiled broadly, letting her lips brush against the fabric of his shirt and the apron.

It sated her urge to kiss him. Which, she reminded herself (though rather hazily), she couldn't do because it would be very awkward.

She could hear Soul's heartbeat. As she thought about it, she couldn't really tell whether it was pumping with nervous speed or not; Maka didn't know how fast hearts were supposed to sound. She felt a little thrill well up in her chest when she thought about the idea that he might be enjoying this. She pushed more against his chest as the two settled into a comfortable position.

Their souls thrummed along in harmony. She just concentrated on what it felt like to hold her sarcastic, lazy, loyal best friend in human form for a change.

* * *

Soul wondered if Maka noticed how fast his heart was racing.

They were...oh Death, they were going to cuddle. He had a kind of defensive impulse to resist at first. This was dangerous. But as he fell back, he realized that he didn't absolutely have to kiss the top of her head, because he had really good self-control. Maybe it wasn't so dangerous after all. He just let his face rest against her hair, which smelled like some kind of girly herbal-fruity-flowery shampoo.

As they listened to the storm for a few minutes, Soul started to realize that this was the beginning of something for him. He wasn't going to be able to believe himself any more when he insisted that she held absolutely zero physical attractiveness for him.

"Well, maybe we can talk about something less serious now," Maka said from underneath his chin.

"Heh, okay. How about the fact that you still didn't finish your tea and now I think you spilled it all over the floor?"

Soul could practically sense her rolling eyes in the dark.

"How about what we saw earlier tonight with Tsubaki and Black*Star," she suggested. Speaking of Meister-Weapon relationships...

"Gossip isn't cool, Maka," Soul said, mustering up his most disapproving tone.

"Oh come on! It's not gossip if I'm talking to you!"

"Fine. What did we see?"

"You know what we saw! They were holding hands. For like two hours. And Tsubaki was resting her head against his shoulder-"

Soul decided to play stupid. "Yeah, so?"

"It... they... oh come on!" Maka said, catching on to his game. "Do I have to draw you a picture?"

"Please don't. You're terrible at drawing."

"The point is, I think they're in love."

"Yeah, I think so too," he managed to say smoothly and coolly. "But Black*Star's stupid, so I think it will take a while to see any results, if you know what I mean." As Maka giggled, Soul felt her warmth move against his body, and had to stifle a very natural but very inappropriate biological reaction. It was like somebody was striking a match deep in his guts.

"But you know," Maka said, returning to seriousness way too soon, "I'd worry about that. I'm afraid it will mess up their partnership. It's fun to watch, but I don't think it's very smart..." she trailed off.

"Oh come on. Stop worrying," Soul said. "They're both gonna be fine."

"I don't know. Look at what happened to my parents."

Soul sensed that this would not be the best time to bring up that what they were doing was also awfully suggestive of romance. Instead he remained silent and closed his eyes, getting ready to nap like the lazy bum he was and enjoying his meister's closeness.

"Mm, I know," he said. "But Black*Star and Tsubaki are pretty different from your parents. They might be okay."

"I hope so," she said.

It had never occurred to him before that this could be so nice. He hadn't thought of himself as a touchy-feely guy, but having Maka all close like this was...perfection. He allowed himself to squeeze her a little, relishing how his feisty, fiery little meister felt wrapped up in his arms. He focused on how warm she was, how soft, how much presence she had, how good she smelled (like an idiot in a romance novel that she had probably read), on her petite little chest pressed up against him...

Oh, if anyone asked, he did not just think of any parts of her anatomy as "fun-sized."

* * *

The pair did indeed fall asleep as the thunder receded into the distance.

Around 3 AM, all the lights that had gone off suddenly turned on again with another ping! sound. Their eyes shot open, and in a sleepy haze saw that they were still snuggling.

Both blushed very noticeably and sat up simultaneously.

"Well that was a cool storm," Soul said. Anything to break this awkwardness.

"Yeah, it was," Maka agreed. "It was right overhead. Thanks for keeping me company, Soul!"

"Hey, no problem. Too bad your boring book didn't work out and you have tea to clean up."

"Shut up, Soul." But Maka was smiling. "I'm...I'm sorry if I pushed you too much. To talk about your family."

Soul shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I guess I knew it was bugging you for a long time."

There was a pause. And then at the same time, they both said:

"Well, we should head to bed..."

* * *

Before drifting off to sleep for the second time that night, Maka wrote something short in the little poetry journal she kept tucked among her other favorite books.

It wasn't a good poem. She wasn't even sure if it really counted as a poem; it was more like a note to Soul or a diary entry. But it's not as if she was planning for anyone else's eyes to see it anyway, and this was one of those rare moments when her writing was inspired by happiness. It was usually meant for venting sadness or anger.

But all the thoughts were pouring out in such a quick, cheerful stream of consciousness that it would just be too bad to waste them. After all, she would like to remember this night.

_We've both said we like thunder._ _I wonder if there's more to it  
 _than just how pretty the lightning is.  
 _Maybe it's like us somehow.  
 _Watching a storm...it feels similar to  
 _the thrill we feel in a battle.  
 _Except we get to sit back and relax  
 _instead of fighting, so it's cozy too.  
 _Haha. I guess it's also kind of like when we argue, right?  
 _Sometimes  
 _doing that with you can be fun. Like watching thunder.  
 _...Anyway, it also reminds me of our soul resonance,  
 _the electrical feeling like lightning connecting us  
 _and the sensation of the thunder's sound waves  
 _echoing right through our chests.______________

Maka groaned and slammed the book shut before she could write anything cheesier. If Soul found this crap, she'd never live it down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning is awkward.

Thoughts of last night floated, disjointed, through her mind, behind her closed eyelids. She clung to the memories with mixed feelings - what had been euphoria at bedtime had become somber pensiveness laced with worry, and it was waking her up.

Maka opened her eyes to the gentle, purple-golden light of dawn. The sun was going to return to its place in the sky today, as if it had not been covered in thick, heavy clouds not two hours before.

She peered around her room and looked at the clock. Quarter to six in the morning! Her brain was buzzing with such activity it must have settled down for an absolutely minimal amount of rest before stirring again.

What had Soul's mood really been like when he went to sleep last night? Would it possibly not be painful to let herself hope he felt some level of nervous excitement, too? More likely he'd fallen fast asleep immediately, knowing her lazy partner. Maka groaned inwardly to herself at how embarrassingly unsmooth she'd been throwing a hissy fit about Soul not opening up his personal life to her sooner.

All in all, she was starting to wonder if maybe she had been a little too aggressive.

Maka hated it when Soul hid things about himself from her, even though she knew it wasn't entirely logical because the dynamic between them was so great regardless. She remembered, with a pang of guilt, that he was actually pretty good about respecting her own privacy.

But she'd argued with him, and he'd refused to explain his life. And then she'd intended to stomp out of the room like some kind of child, and tripped over his unsuspecting legs and made him feel bad so he talked.

Then she hugged him.

It had seemed like an acceptable idea at the time. Maybe not the most well-planned, but she was not a planner anyway; she preferred to be...spontaneous. "Impulsive," according to her partner. She'd convinced him to spill something very personal, and he'd finally obliged, and she'd realized how much all these familial issues must be eating away at him.

So that would be an appropriate time for a hug, right? Right. He couldn't prove to himself that she meant that romantically. Maka was a nice person. For all he knew, maybe she'd just been feeling empathetic and relieved that he didn't try to shut her out again.

And he couldn't really "prove" that she was trying to convey romance when she pushed him back against the couch and snuggled him like an oversized teddy bear, either.

Maka had crossed her own line with that one. She'd broken her own rules. She wasn't sure she even wanted to know about any of Soul's lines that she may have crossed or rules she may have broken. Not that it hadn't been enjoyable, but there were repercussions to think about.

If he asked about it, if she could just keep a straight face and avoid blushing for a few moments, she could tell him that she hadn't intended to make him think she was sending "those" kinds of signals. And it was all just a warm, friendly gesture.

...A warm, friendly gesture that lasted for hours. (One that he participated in, whispered something hopeful in the back of her mind).

Somehow, Maka could barely even sound convincing to herself. No matter how much she argued, she knew he'd be suspicious.

But how was he going to handle that suspicion?

Maka's frustration exhausted her mind, and she fell asleep again. This time it wasn't restful, because she dreamed of rejection.

* * *

Soul woke unusually easily that morning to a much softer, more timid knock than he was used to. Thoughts of last night flooded his consciousness immediately. They even gave him slightly more energy than was typical.

Still, he was awfully sleepy.

"Mm'awake," he mumbled wearily.

She didn't hear him, though, because she knocked again. "S-Soul? Ah, I slept through my alarm so...we have to get moving. We're gonna be late."

"Yeah yeah. Coming," he said, loud enough this time. Why was she so mousey this morning, anyway? Was she embarrassed? Usually she'd be in here banging him in the face with something hard-bound to get him moving. There was no response from the other side of the door, but he did hear her in the kitchen a few moments later.

Soul did some thinking while he got ready for class.

He was thinking that changing the status quo between Maka and himself finally didn't seem like such a stupid idea.

He did always like his crazy, ridiculous partner a lot. For a while he almost thought of Maka, and the general concept of a "meister," as an extension of himself, or a family member. Or, especially, a boss of some kind. But as they fought madness, evil, and Stein's homework assignments together, it didn't take long to realize that she was none of those things.

And as he learned more about her, she became more interesting in ways he'd thought he would have to keep to himself, possibly forever. For a long time, at least, it was partly about his pride - something in him just didn't want to admit the feelings he was having for the flat, nerdy girl with the over-the-top temper. More importantly, there was always a deeper concern he had, too. The bond between the two was very strong and he didn't fear it breaking because of something stupid like a shouting match over cooking dinner, but he was very nervous about what might happen if he tried to change the fundamental nature of their relationship.

Soon, protecting Maka at all costs had become Soul's...what was that word she liked so much? Oh, right. His raison d'être. (She was just absurdly happy to learn that phrase and used it way too often now. She'd be so smug if she found out he was using it, too.) Anyway - protecting them as a unit was an important secondary goal. He couldn't afford to screw it up.

Especially during Soul Resonance, when he could feel what she felt accurately and intensely, Soul thought maybe she had the same ideas he did. It could be kind of hard to tell, though, because all meister and weapon partnerships are close. Maka was also a complicated person. Soul couldn't assume he'd always read her right. And anyway, she spent half the time calling him an idiot. No matter what, Soul always had that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that maybe she was right...and he'd be an even bigger idiot for trying to make any changes to their lives.

Because Maka was his meister - that's how she defined their relationship, right? As a significant other, she'd like a guy who was book-smart, and clean-cut, and enjoyed pop music, and didn't have a completely twisted sense of humor, right?

She also definitely had trust issues with men. Soul didn't take it personally when he realized she'd probably be skeptical of his intentions with her, although if the kinds of books he sometimes caught her with were any indication, she had not given up entirely on love. After all, the idea of romantic partnership is everywhere in society. Her parents' divorce had left a nasty scar, though, and Soul knew he could easily reopen that wound by mistake.

His thoughts returned more directly to their cuddle session on the couch.

What she did last night was...something else. There was definitely some significance to it. Maybe that was a green light. Soul had the feeling that the ball was in his court now. He could safely hit it back, if he made his moves cautiously.

He was just finishing brushing his teeth, and suddenly, he grinned like the Cheshire cat.

This could be a chance to be really cool.

He guessed the next step would be to actually do something. What? Pull some stunt like she did last night on the couch? Soul told himself to be calm. He was already formulating plans; he knew she didn't have anything special to do tonight, so he'd ask her to go out somewhere relaxing, just the two of them, and he'd see where things went from there...

When he arrived in the kitchen and made eye contact with Maka, though, it was not so easy to be calm. He instantly felt the anxious sweat begin, and the smirk practically dropped off of his face.

It's one thing to plan a date. It's another thing entirely to be all suave and smooth and suggest it like it's nothing when it really matters a whole lot. What if she didn't get the point? What if she had to be convinced to go out? What if he was forced into confessing more than he was really ready to tell her just yet? What if he ruined it and school was awkward all day and they never got over it?

His thoughts were interrupted when Maka grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door.

She apologized uncharacteristically. "I'm sorry, Soul, but we're gonna be late."

Well, he couldn't just stop everything and ask her now.

* * *

The sun was waking up on the horizon, spreading its heat grumpily across the desert to Death City. They stepped outside, and were greeted with a rare sight.

The cement and pavement and soil of Death City were still thoroughly soaked from last night's rain. The dry desert air was rolling back in, though, and the sun's hot rays already beat down on the ground. Together they were causing the water on the ground to evaporate, and the city's streets were covered in a layer of thick mist. There were even some places - near laundry vents, for instance - where Maka could see the cloudy air swirling around in little eddies. It obscured most low-lying buildings and was slowly inching higher; it concentrated the morning sunlight that was filtering through, giving the air itself a golden coloration.

The dawn seemed to warm even the deep gray and purple shadows. Apartment buildings and shops rose from the flaxen fog, and Shibusen's spires towered in the distance.

Maka climbed onto the motorcycle behind Soul. She felt exceptionally awkward now, sitting so close; she argued with herself over wishing that they could ride through the mist while she embraced him from the back seat.

He actually drove fairly cautiously, since all the fog made it hard to see. Soul was a little smarter than she gave him credit for.

So...what should she do? He was probably noticing that she was shy this morning. It would only be so long before he asked what was going on.

She could sneak a peek at his soul using Soul Perception. That seemed a little underhanded - and it wasn't a mind-reading ability, so it would only give her the most vague idea of what he was feeling - but it would be better than nothing.

Maka concentrated and stared straight at her weapon's back, thinking hard to see past everything in the world except for his soul. She could feel the wavelength very clearly, and it was full of-

Well, there was some admiration. Some wistfulness. Not so bad. She couldn't be completely sure it was all directed at her.

And yet there was also uncertainty. Anxiety. Tension. Distraction. Disappointment?

Just as Maka's heart was sinking, she heard Soul speak.

"Hey! Earth to Maka! Um...are you okay?" he was asking.

"Oh! Yeah. What? I'm fine."

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Soul finally said, "So...what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Huh? You didn't even hear me? I practically shouted!"

"Well, I didn't hear you," Maka snapped. She was relieved that he didn't seem to catch on to her soul-peeking. She still felt pretty awful about the feelings she detected.

"O...kay. I was wondering what you wanted to do tonight."

"Oh, I dunno. Hang out I guess, like we always do."

Soul was quiet again for a minute. "Did you want to go somewhere?"

Honestly, Maka had been planning on brooding in her room for the evening. "I don't have much energy today, Soul. What do you have in mind?"

Soul shrugged as he drove. "Ah...wherever you wanted to go..."

* * *

Maka didn't answer right away. This was really grating on Soul's nerves.

He couldn't hear Little Ogre's voice in the back of his mind. He was too sane right now. But he could feel what Little Ogre would want him to believe: that Maka was purposefully avoiding being alone with him. Because she thought he was unworthy.

"Hey! How about the museum?" she asked hopefully.

Soul groaned inwardly. Of course. That's her idea of a good time. Actually, he might be able to work with it.

"Really? You're such a nerd," he said, trying to bring back their usual dynamic. "But okay. Sure. Just this once."

"...Seriously? You - you'll go with me?"

"Yeah."

"Soul. Are you feeling well today?"

"Ah, I guess so - why?"

"Soul. You never want to go to the museum. I've asked you like twenty-five times."

He didn't respond. She sounded much happier, so he felt a bit better, but he had the distinct feeling she didn't know this was supposed to be a date, and he was having trouble working out how to tell her that without having to tell her.

"Oh well, thanks Soul!"

They arrived at Shibusen and hurried up the front steps.

* * *

Suddenly, Maka realized something.

This scenario could be an awful lot like a date if they wanted it to.

They'd done similar things many times, of course (although this was the first time he'd voluntarily caved and decided to go to a museum). But usually the air wasn't so thick with this kind of tension. She decided to test the waters.

"Hey," she whispered, nudging her weapon (who had his face buried in his arms, already fast asleep by the look of it). "Should I invite Tsubaki and Black Star and everyone with us?"

Soul turned his head rather quickly; maybe he wasn't so sound asleep after all. "N-...I mean, do you really think they'd wanna come? Personally, I'm already dreading how boring this is gonna be."

"You jerk! I'll show you!" She turned and looked at the girl who usually sat a row behind them. "Hey, Tsubaki..."

"Oh! Were you talking to me, Maka?"

Soul huffed, interrupting them. "No way. Black Star will never want to go, and anyway, do you want that guy within ten miles of a museum? He'd probably bring the whole place crashing down."

"Go where?" Tsubaki asked, confused.

Black Star suddenly woke up from where he, too, was dozing. "Who's using my name without talking about me TO MY FACE!?" he seethed. "That's a type of sacrilege unless you're praising my power, you know!"

"We're going to the museum tonight," Maka said, not waiting for Soul to say anything else. "You guys can come if you want. Where's Liz? I can invite her and Patty and Kid, too."

"Nope." Black Star's voice was flat. "Until they have at least a full wing dedicated to ME, that place is way too boring to waste a Friday night on." He grinned, self-satisfied, as though he really had made some great decree.

Tsubaki looked apologetic. "Ah, sorry. We actually already had plans."

"Plans. Really. I wonder what they are," Liz said smugly. She had just arrived a few seats down with a giggling Patty, Kid close behind.

Tsubaki blushed lightly, but the exchange was cut short by Stein's rolling chair zooming into the room and falling over in the doorway.

"Good morning, students," he began briskly as he righted the chair almost effortlessly and scooted to the center of the room. "My apologies for being late. Today's class is going to begin a very important chapter in your studies." A lit cigarette bobbed up and down between Stein's lips as he talked.

"Well, he certainly gets right down to business," Soul muttered in a voice he thought only Maka could hear, settling in for another nap.

"I don't think you're going to want to miss this, Soul." The Professor's glasses flashed as he adjusted his view. "In fact, let's have you and your partner help in our first demonstration of the day."

Maka positively bounced to the front of the room, excited for a chance to participate (regardless of the fact that it was kind of a punishment she didn't deserve). Soul slouched forward behind her.

"Now students," Stein continued, "you're all experienced enough now that you know new battle techniques are being developed constantly. Usually the Death scythes and faculty at Shibusen are the ones conducting the research, but last week we discovered that a rogue group has developed a soul-projecting ability which can eavesdrop on a meister and weapon's thoughts while they resonate. This can affect you from up to a hundred feet away, and if that wasn't bad enough, it can also be used to cancel the resonance instantly from afar."

Soul and Maka arrived at the front of the room.

"As you can imagine, this kind of mind-reading can be used to gather information no one except Shibusen students and faculty should have. And I think you all know how disastrously a pair could falter in battle if their moves were canceled mid-resonance. Now," Stein said, "of course I experimented with the technique - they haven't given it a name yet - and I can now use it as well as any of our enemies." He turned to Maka and Soul with the kind of look he usually reserved for caged specimens, and suddenly Maka realized this class period might hurt a lot.

"Don't worry," Stein said, as though he already read her mind. "It's an almost undetectable feeling when someone is listening to you two, and it ah...only hurts for a second when the resonance is severed. So with that said, I'm going to need you two to resonate first."

When they hesitated, Stein grinned in a not-very-reassuring manner. "Heh. I promise not to tell the class all the innermost thoughts I'll be able to hear between you and Soul. That goes for all of you, since you're all getting a turn today."

Maka realized this would be her first time resonating with Soul since her feelings had really broken open last night. As soon as they made the connection, he would be bombarded with all the ideas that had been floating around in her head recently...

No. He couldn't find out. She thought about their maybe-date tonight, and amended that to at least not now, definitely not here. She'd have to try to hide it all from him.

She looked over and nodded at her weapon. "Let's go - Soul Resonance."

* * *

Soul, too, struggled to hide his thoughts from Maka. He wasn't ready yet. He still wasn't even sure she was ready, or that she'd ever be ready. This wasn't the kind of thing a person could be bombarded with in front of a class full of people.

Everything started out pretty normally with Soul Resonance. As they began, Soul transformed into the scythe and flew into Maka's gloved hands. He could almost feel the lines between him and her blurring - it felt a lot like getting goose bumps from exhilaration, even though he was in weapon form - when things started to go awry.

She didn't drop him. She just stood there, trying and trying for what must have been minutes straight, until she ran out of breath.

Crap. He'd really messed up. Trying to hide things from her was actually causing their resonance to fail. He certainly felt like a failure. They hadn't had this problem in so long.

But what was going on here? Stein was watching them curiously. His glasses flashed as he adjusted them.

Maka just stared straight at the ground and let Soul rest against the floor.

"I'm not feeling very well," she said suddenly. "Is - is it okay if I go to the infirmary for a few minutes?"

Huh?

Stein stared for a moment before carefully saying, "Certainly. Ah, Soul, why don't you go with her? I'll have Black Star and Tsubaki demonstrate instead."

Black Star snorted awake. "Huwhah?"

Both were silent on the way to the infirmary. Soul risked a few glances at Maka. She looked miserable. He thought about reaching out to grab her hand but wasn't sure if she'd react well.

Both glanced at each other and offered a grin. He hoped his was comforting.

_That was so stupid_ , thought Soul. _If I can't make myself stop thinking about this for two minutes, I'll be constantly ruining our resonance. At this rate, the only thing to do might be to come clean so at least I'm not hiding anything from her. I was going to wait until tonight and see how things go...but I wonder if I should do it sooner._

* * *

Maka was absolutely mortified.

She was finding herself unable to cover up her thoughts and feelings any more. Soul was either going to find out or she'd probably never be able to resonate with him again.

Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

Maka thought carefully over the implications of telling Soul what was really going on. It was strange that he never even asked her. Normally he'd be wondering "what the hell her problem was." Instead he was just absorbed in his own thoughts. He was so distracted.

She thought about all the potential ways to resolve this problem, or at least deal with it for now.

She could open herself up completely. That would probably enable the two to resonate, but Soul would be able to essentially read her thoughts. It would be like telling him in the most unceremonious way possible.

She could tell Soul herself what was going on, in a controlled and thoughtful manner. That might compromise their partnership too, though...

She could keep trying to put it off and run away like this, trying to maintain the status quo for a little while longer-

No.

She knew in that instant that she needed to tell Soul what was going on once and for all. Because Maka Albarn was many things - many unlovable things - like stubborn, and plain, and ill-tempered, and bossy. And she was worried about how her partner was going to react.

But Maka Albarn was no coward. Never.

She'd treat their relationship like breakable glass for as long as she could, protecting it even from herself. However, it was too late for that now; it wouldn't help any more. If the best hope she had of protecting her partnership with Soul was playing Russian roulette with a gun full of pain aimed at her own soul, she'd do it in a heartbeat. There was no reasonable way out except a confession.

She had an idea of how to do this properly.

She opened her eyes to look over at him, only to find that he was already looking thoughtfully at her.

* * *

Soul blushed and looked away when his meister made eye contact with him. He'd been thinking, and had honestly thought she wouldn't notice him.

But she just reached for his hand. "Let's - let's go outside for a moment."

His heart pounded as he accepted her grasp. What was this? It could be good or really bad. It had to be urgent to have Maka leaving school like this when everyone thought she'd be at the infirmary. He was wondering whether he was going to get beat up with every book in her knapsack.

They arrived in front of Shibusen moments later. From up here they could see all of Death City. There was still sunlit fog covering the lower elevations; the whole city seemed to be resting in a bed of thick steam. The sight caused them to pause for a moment, admiring its eerie beauty before Maka led Soul over toward the side of the school, somewhat behind a pillar and away from prying eyes.

"Soul," she said quietly, taking his other hand in hers as well and turning to face him. "Let's try. One more time - Soul Resonance."

Soul wasn't sure exactly what was going on; still, he didn't question Maka because he realized something important was definitely about to happen and he was about 90% sure it didn't involve getting hit in the head after all. He nodded, and both closed their eyes again and thought of each other.

At first their souls seemed to resist resonating again. But Soul could tell already that this was an important moment to open up, perhaps the important moment of their partnership, so he let her in. Finally, he felt them join for real.

His consciousness was transferred to some other place. He knew, in an instant, that this was Maka's soul and that they had some talking to do.

When he first gained an awareness of his surroundings, Soul realized he was dressed in his most casual clothes. The air was full of trepidation, and also...deep affection. Something that just couldn't be held back.

Soul beamed his crescent-moon smile as emotion surrounded him like heat from a fireplace. Knowledge he wished he'd had all along rushed through his mind. If he'd just known this sooner, he could have played it really cool last night...

Anyway. Time to have that discussion.

He was in a library. It wasn't a big room, but it was quite crowded. The shelves were crammed together, towering to the ceiling, and books were in turn crammed into every shelf. There was a carpet the same color as Maka's eyes. There was a small desk and a lamp, and a passage between some of the bookshelves; they seemed to obscure another light source. Soul turned the corner to walk down that passage.

He was immediately met with the sight of a huge window and a glass door. Light from some unseen sun spilled in; it seemed to be late spring or early summer outside. Right in front of the huge window was a small couch, and Maka was sitting on it, watching him intently. She also wore casual clothes, the kind she wore at home.

"Really, Maka? A library? Jeez, you're so predictable."

"There's a garden, too!"

"Ah, I see that."

Maka gestured at the space next to her on the couch, so Soul walked over and sat down.

* * *

Maka was concentrating as hard as she could on controlling her soul. She knew some of her emotions were seeping through, though. They had to, or she'd force him out again.

She was given a shot of courage when he walked closer, because she could feel affection radiating from him, too.

"Soul," she began. He was grinning, she noted, and her confidence increased with every step he took. She smiled when he sat down next to her.

"Maka-" he hesitated, having interrupted her by mistake. "Oh, sorry. What were you gonna say?"

"Nothing. Er...you can talk first," she said, still incredibly nervous.

"I think, Maka...I might already know. I'd just kind of like to hear it from you."

She took both of his hands (again) and looked up, preparing to stare into his eyes and confess in one clear statement, but the feelings she was getting from him knocked all the breath out of her chest.

He seemed to notice, because he looked away, as though being polite.

"S-Soul," she stammered again. "I'm...this is really hard to say out loud, okay? And I haven't wanted to say it because I'm afraid it will make everything complicated and we won't be able to resonate anymore." She swallowed and fidgeted with his fingers, playing with them one by one. "But- well, I need to say it, because I think it might already be too much for us to ignore."

It was time to face the music, and she could do so with confidence because through their connection she suddenly knew what he had been about to say.

* * *

Soul did his best to remain patient.

"I love you," she whispered, finally staring into his eyes, almost defiantly.

They paused and let the world turn for a moment before a slow, genuine smile crossed Soul's face. He pulled her into his arms, and she leaned her ear against his chest again. "I was just about to tell you...the same thing. I love you. But you already knew that, right?"

Maybe she didn't before, but Soul was sure she must feel it now. Maka smiled, and they embraced once more.

Through the haze of emotion, Soul realized there was something he should say.

"Maka. Don't worry about us. I promise we're not your parents. You're not your mother, and I'm definitely not your creepy father."

He kissed the top of her head, in a way he thought would be nearly imperceptible, but she looked up at him anyway. Then he kissed her forehead, and she leaned up to give him a peck on the lips.

Soul leaned down again, keeping her in his embrace and running his hands along her back in an almost comforting manner. He kissed her, a little longer this time, and she got into it too.

"Hang on," she said. "I...let's go outside and do this, okay? In the ah, 'real world.'"

"This is just as real as out there," Soul said, mouth against her hair. "And anyway, you're the one who brought us in here," he added teasingly.

"I know that! But well, that was just for the...the hard part. I feel like I don't want to just keep us confined to my mind like this...if it's all okay..."

Soul squeezed her. "I get it. Okay, Maka. See you outside."

As the pair opened their eyes in front of Shibusen, they realized they were sitting down while still holding hands. Maka scooted closer to Soul and both looked around surreptitiously before he brought her close again. Then, in a huge rush to pick up where they left off, he lifted her chin and brought her mouth to meet his.

He felt every curve of her lips with his own, letting them brush and hover and just exchange warmth for a few seconds before using them once again to gently massage hers, kissing her mouth in a slightly different spot each time. He relished the feeling of her breath against him, and it always pulled him back in closer.

It was awkward. A first for both of them. He was experimenting. But it still felt...really cool.

* * *

Maka's heart was pounding. She felt dizzy and couldn't possibly have torn herself away from the incredible thrill that was kissing Soul if she wanted to.

She felt his mouth, gently shaping hers according to his so the ridge that was his upper lip fit just between both of hers.

She thought she felt, very lightly, his tongue barely brush her lower lip, timidly asking for entrance. So she angled her head in what seemed like a more comfortable position and did the same. He met her halfway this time; their tongue-tips touched, and they played with each other for a minute.

Then they deepened the kiss. She pushed even closer to her partner and slid her tongue along his, affectionately caressing him. They held their arms tightly around each other and, not quite sure what to do with their hands, gripped each other's clothing.

She felt Soul's teeth. Maka realized, with goose bumps on her skin, that she was curious about them. So she ran her tongue along them, along the fronts and across the jagged tops. Soul seemed to realize she was exploring him, so he toned down his movements, merely massaging her tongue gently with his own whenever he felt it. But after a while he grinned against her mouth and she blushed even more deeply, realizing how strange she was being.

"Sorry," she said through an embarrassed little giggle.

"It feels cool," he answered with a smirk and a shrug.

Thank goodness they had decided to take a break from snogging and merely lie together a few minutes later, when their friends (every single one - even Professor Stein was there) rounded the corner and demanded to know why they weren't at the infirmary.

Black Star, who was in the lead, gave Soul a double thumbs-up.

* * *

That night (after cleaning up some rather old spilled tea), Maka sat outside in the park. She had taken a walk, bringing the little poetry book and some reading material with her. The sky had been crystal-clear since before noon. There was not a trace of fog or humidity anywhere in Death City. The moon and stars and street lights made it just bright enough to see the note paper.

She wanted so badly to write something again.

It had seemed like a good idea, a moment to reflect on today's events. But now that she had gotten out here, she just wanted to rush back.

_Lightning is like the spark between us_ , she wrote. Oh great, another mediocre poem. Good thing she wouldn't be showing it to anyone.

_And it catalyzed something._  
But it confused me for a while.  
When I woke up this morning,  
this town was covered in fog.  
My brain was covered in fog, too.  
You cleared it all away for me  
Because we said "I love you"  
and at the same time the fog was cleared  
by the bright sun. 

At this point a familiar voice shouted "Surprise!" and Maka dropped everything she was holding. Soul laughed.

"Hey, you jerk!" She picked up Pride and Prejudice and smacked him with it.

"Ah, come on, Maka, I just didn't want to leave you alone in the dark for too long!" He leaned down to pick up the poetry book. "Hey, is this where you write all your crazy poems...?"

"Don't read that-"

"Oh, now I have to read it."

Too bad he was taller. He held it above his head and laughed as she tackled him, grabbing at the book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for your readership.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading.


End file.
